Beauty and Personal Grooming

July 22, 2017

Even an innocuous, grooming task such as trimming nails is not left untouched by superstitious beliefs. An ancient European belief forbids a person from cutting nails on Sunday and Friday; cutting nails on Friday invariably brings bad luck and on Sunday attracts evil spirits. Another superstition doing the rounds in 19th century Europe was that a mother should never cut the nails of the child before it's first birthday and if she does so the child will grow up to be a thief. India too has its share of superstitious beliefs regarding nail cutting. In India, at least in the part of South India where I grew up, there is a belief that cutting nails after dusk is a bad thing. Moreover clipping nails on Saturday and on the day of the week you were born is supposed to bring bad luck. So most people avoid cutting nails on these days.

July 13, 2017

If you find yourself or your dear ones often forgetting things, don't panic. While in most circumstances, memory loss is associated with stress, dementia etc., there could also be other reasons for forgetfulness and memory loss.

July 11, 2017

Menstruating women often experience myriad symptoms during PMS ranging from mood swings, poor quality of sleep to vivid dreams and nightmares. Reportedly, PMSing women are also prone to forgetfulness and sluggishness due to the rise in progesterone levels in the later half of the menstrual cycle. This rise in progesterone levels has often been linked to a drop in serotonin, a neurotransmitter that boosts mood and helps keep you sharp.(1)

June 7, 2017

I was skimming through the Sunday Edition of Times of India supplement. Vinita Dawra Nangia always has some wonderful insights to share in her column O-Zone. I always make it a point to read her write-up. Last Sunday she shared some tips on how to keep your cool in summer, which is an interesting read, by the way. I was particularly intrigued by one of her unconventional suggestions to stay cool. She says, trick your mind to feel cool. And how should you do that? "Close your eyes and imagine cool things – ice-cubes, snow on mountains, a beautiful waterfall. As the mind dwells on cool imagery, it sends signals to the body and the body temperature also comes down!"

May 26, 2017

In this scorching summer heat, our parched throats yearn for cool water to quench our thirsts. This liking for cold fluids and beverages could well be evolutionary in origin if we go by this PubMed study. While the Internet is replete with articles about how drinking cold water is bad for your health, interferes with digestion, causes dreaded diseases such as cancer, there seems to be little truth in this statement. Unless a person is in a state of hypothermia (low body temperature) or severe dehydration, there is no reason to believe that drinking cold water could harm a person. So go ahead and consume cool, chilled drinks without any guilt. Also cold foods and beverages do not harm any of our internal organs, so no need to worry. However consumption of too much of water / fluids after an intense workout or after spending several hours in hot sun should be avoided. [Refer to this study]

May 13, 2017

A Very Happy Mother's Day to All. A particular day dedicated to a mother is
never enough to let her know how special she is. But then in our busy schedule
we hardly get to spend time with the family. So at least on special occasions
like these we must make a point to let her know how much we depend on her and
love her. No need of showering her with expensive gifts; just do your bit to make her feel
special!